Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

I'm in Ashton Heights and had a problem with a middle school in the Rosslyn location -- not because of the student population (after all, I'm very happy with my kids at TJ) -- but because that space simply wasn't big enough to accommodate a 1300 seat middle school. Even with the smaller HB program they are talking about the lack of parking in the area for school events. Plus adding buses for a big middle school to the usual rush hour traffic would have been a nightmare. The location makes a lot more sense for a smaller program esp. for high school kids who have an open campus.

+100

+1000 another courthouse parent. Location made no sense for a large middle school, too small, no parking, and buses thru traffic would have been insanity. Further, the county has no experience building high rise urban schools, there are significant design elements to be made and compromises struck, -land the smaller more flexible student body make sense (well maybe not Stratford, maybe that should go to Reed site). But open campus high schoolers walking distance to district taco, i know they will be happy.

Then can people stop complaining about it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

I'm in Ashton Heights and had a problem with a middle school in the Rosslyn location -- not because of the student population (after all, I'm very happy with my kids at TJ) -- but because that space simply wasn't big enough to accommodate a 1300 seat middle school. Even with the smaller HB program they are talking about the lack of parking in the area for school events. Plus adding buses for a big middle school to the usual rush hour traffic would have been a nightmare. The location makes a lot more sense for a smaller program esp. for high school kids who have an open campus.

+100

+1000 another courthouse parent. Location made no sense for a large middle school, too small, no parking, and buses thru traffic would have been insanity. Further, the county has no experience building high rise urban schools, there are significant design elements to be made and compromises struck, -land the smaller more flexible student body make sense (well maybe not Stratford, maybe that should go to Reed site). But open campus high schoolers walking distance to district taco, i know they will be happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids identified as gifted in APS and have no idea what any of these people are talking about. It's been good for both my kids (math pull out and honors band.) Another reason to avoid north Arlington, I guess.

The most interesting thing I've learned from this thread is that there's "honors band".

Auditions are in November. It's countywide.

https://www.apsva.us/arts-education-overview/honors-band-orchestra-and-chorus/

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids identified as gifted in APS and have no idea what any of these people are talking about. It's been good for both my kids (math pull out and honors band.) Another reason to avoid north Arlington, I guess.

The most interesting thing I've learned from this thread is that there's "honors band".

ATS is nothing compared to Discovery.

This thread has veered significantly from the original post, but there are valid reasons for the anger directed at HB (and ATS too, for that matter). Both programs are lottery, so it is random luck whether or not you get in. And yet, both programs seem to be immune from growing-- even as every other ES, MS, and HS in the county is bursting at the seams and cramming kids into trailers. HB and ATS have both resisted accepting more kids, arguing that their "program" depends on a small size. And the SB seems to protect them. If HB had said they were willing to grow to 1300 kids, maybe more of the community would have come out to defend their request to stay in their current building. But they didn't want to grow. And so nobody understood why a small school should get to stay on such a big space, while we were cramming more kids into a smaller building in Rosslyn. (And I say this as a Swanson parent who will *not* be redistricted to the new MS.) I have the same objection to ATS. That school sits on a HUGE lot compared to most of the other elementary schools-- three playgrounds, two fields. And yet, they've never been asked to add trailers to the extent of the other ES schools. I think ATS had one trailer last year-- and maybe three trailers this year? So, yes, it makes people really mad that we are spending $100M to build HB a new building when it isn't doing anything to help the capacity crisis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

True. It was the Taylor, Jamestown, Nottingham, Discovery folks that didn't want that. God forbid their children socialize with students of color or different socio-economic statuses.

+1

It was 100% those parents who fought the Wilson School. They did spread lies about their kids having to take the public bus to school in the morning b/c APS wouldn't bus them to the "urban school". Seriously? Who would fall for that? They fought hard to get Stratford as a walking school with one hand, while trying to take Reed out of contention as a walking school with the other hand. Either you are for walking schools or you aren't. They were for walking schools for just their kids. They didn't really care what happened to HB as long as they got theirs.

And are now covering their tracks by complaining about the greedy H-B folks and their $100M school every chance they get. It's pretty rich.

I'm a south Arlington parent and I've been critical of the spending. My kid could possibly win the lottery, and that still wouldn't make any of this sit well with me.

But the spending doesn't have to do with H-B. They would have spent the money to build a new school at Wilson either way.

I understand, but my big issue is that this is all about the revitalization of Rosslyn. I don't agree with county priorities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

True. It was the Taylor, Jamestown, Nottingham, Discovery folks that didn't want that. God forbid their children socialize with students of color or different socio-economic statuses.

+1

It was 100% those parents who fought the Wilson School. They did spread lies about their kids having to take the public bus to school in the morning b/c APS wouldn't bus them to the "urban school". Seriously? Who would fall for that? They fought hard to get Stratford as a walking school with one hand, while trying to take Reed out of contention as a walking school with the other hand. Either you are for walking schools or you aren't. They were for walking schools for just their kids. They didn't really care what happened to HB as long as they got theirs.

And are now covering their tracks by complaining about the greedy H-B folks and their $100M school every chance they get. It's pretty rich.

I'm a south Arlington parent and I've been critical of the spending. My kid could possibly win the lottery, and that still wouldn't make any of this sit well with me.

But the spending doesn't have to do with H-B. They would have spent the money to build a new school at Wilson either way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It was 100% those parents who fought the Wilson School. They did spread lies about their kids having to take the public bus to school in the morning b/c APS wouldn't bus them to the "urban school". Seriously? Who would fall for that? They fought hard to get Stratford as a walking school with one hand, while trying to take Reed out of contention as a walking school with the other hand. Either you are for walking schools or you aren't. They were for walking schools for just their kids. They didn't really care what happened to HB as long as they got theirs.

But now that they have their walkable school, they to pave the green space to create a drop-off lane, because their snowflakes are going to be driven.

Of course they are. To a "walkable" school. "Walkable" and "neighborhood" schools are given primacy, even when nobody is actually walking to their delightfully walkable school. It's a farce. A big, fat farce. More palatable these days than massive resistance. But it's the same thing.

Anonymous wrote:

It was 100% those parents who fought the Wilson School. They did spread lies about their kids having to take the public bus to school in the morning b/c APS wouldn't bus them to the "urban school". Seriously? Who would fall for that? They fought hard to get Stratford as a walking school with one hand, while trying to take Reed out of contention as a walking school with the other hand. Either you are for walking schools or you aren't. They were for walking schools for just their kids. They didn't really care what happened to HB as long as they got theirs.

But now that they have their walkable school, they to pave the green space to create a drop-off lane, because their snowflakes are going to be driven.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

True. It was the Taylor, Jamestown, Nottingham, Discovery folks that didn't want that. God forbid their children socialize with students of color or different socio-economic statuses.

+1

It was 100% those parents who fought the Wilson School. They did spread lies about their kids having to take the public bus to school in the morning b/c APS wouldn't bus them to the "urban school". Seriously? Who would fall for that? They fought hard to get Stratford as a walking school with one hand, while trying to take Reed out of contention as a walking school with the other hand. Either you are for walking schools or you aren't. They were for walking schools for just their kids. They didn't really care what happened to HB as long as they got theirs.

And are now covering their tracks by complaining about the greedy H-B folks and their $100M school every chance they get. It's pretty rich.

I'm a south Arlington parent and I've been critical of the spending. My kid could possibly win the lottery, and that still wouldn't make any of this sit well with me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

I'm in Ashton Heights and had a problem with a middle school in the Rosslyn location -- not because of the student population (after all, I'm very happy with my kids at TJ) -- but because that space simply wasn't big enough to accommodate a 1300 seat middle school. Even with the smaller HB program they are talking about the lack of parking in the area for school events. Plus adding buses for a big middle school to the usual rush hour traffic would have been a nightmare. The location makes a lot more sense for a smaller program esp. for high school kids who have an open campus.

+100

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

True. It was the Taylor, Jamestown, Nottingham, Discovery folks that didn't want that. God forbid their children socialize with students of color or different socio-economic statuses.

+1

It was 100% those parents who fought the Wilson School. They did spread lies about their kids having to take the public bus to school in the morning b/c APS wouldn't bus them to the "urban school". Seriously? Who would fall for that? They fought hard to get Stratford as a walking school with one hand, while trying to take Reed out of contention as a walking school with the other hand. Either you are for walking schools or you aren't. They were for walking schools for just their kids. They didn't really care what happened to HB as long as they got theirs.

And are now covering their tracks by complaining about the greedy H-B folks and their $100M school every chance they get. It's pretty rich.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

True. It was the Taylor, Jamestown, Nottingham, Discovery folks that didn't want that. God forbid their children socialize with students of color or different socio-economic statuses.

+1

It was 100% those parents who fought the Wilson School. They did spread lies about their kids having to take the public bus to school in the morning b/c APS wouldn't bus them to the "urban school". Seriously? Who would fall for that? They fought hard to get Stratford as a walking school with one hand, while trying to take Reed out of contention as a walking school with the other hand. Either you are for walking schools or you aren't. They were for walking schools for just their kids. They didn't really care what happened to HB as long as they got theirs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a capacity crisis. HB is a boutique program and the new building is going to cost 100mil to house 1000 kids. County is using it as part of Rosslyn revitalization. I'm all for investment in infrastructure, but the whole thing is off the rails. We need a fourth comprehensive high school. It sucks for the HB people, because they didn't want to move. It's so messed up.

Yes, look at the APS CIP that just passed. It includes $100M for 775 "seats" at HB. As a point of comparison, the CIP includes just $8M to add 600 "seats" to Yorktown and W-L (which might just mean more trailers). CIP here-- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/APS-CIP-16-Report-1.6-WEB_FINAL.pdf

And to tie this all back to the college discussion, the acceptance rates at HB aren't any higher than at Yorktown or W-L. So what are we spending all this money to accomplish? We're getting a really expensive building but not a better educational program.

But H-B would have stayed where it was for $0. That decision was not made by the school.

It's terrible, but that doesn't mean we should be spending a fortune on HB. It's totally not fair to HB. It's also not fair to the taxpayers and the rest of APS.

Agreed but north Arlington parents weren't going to send their middle schoolers to Rosslyn, so here we are.

Those of us in Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Park/Ashton Heights did not have issues at ALL with that scenario.

I'm in Ashton Heights and had a problem with a middle school in the Rosslyn location -- not because of the student population (after all, I'm very happy with my kids at TJ) -- but because that space simply wasn't big enough to accommodate a 1300 seat middle school. Even with the smaller HB program they are talking about the lack of parking in the area for school events. Plus adding buses for a big middle school to the usual rush hour traffic would have been a nightmare. The location makes a lot more sense for a smaller program esp. for high school kids who have an open campus.